Bacteria's project: "Project Unity"

[The Apprentice]

Thanks for that update, hopefully you'll update your work onto my forum too?

I didn't realize you had your own forum. I'll register, but I don't have any pics as of yet of my work, but hopefully I'll get some tonight or tomorrow.

[bacteria]

Excellent, thanks for joining! Bring along others you know too please!

Anyway, update time:


Well, here's a rather large update - this has taken about 10-12 hours work, but I have managed to convert an old CD ROM computer drive into a pop-in/out tray loading unit for GameCube games! It works - wasn't easy but retained the mechanics of the unit, removed the old boards, removed the motor but kept the motor holder plate, replaced with the GameCube motor, changed the top with the one from the PC drive; cut the tray enough to get the GameCube drive unit installed in place after hacking away at all the excess plastic of the GC drive unit.

It works fine - at least the loading/unloading part and as used the original GC drive casing, have ensured as far as I can that this unit will work fine when tried in ernest.

Need to re-attach the board under the drive unit and its assembly as next job! Anyway, a couple of pics to show the work done (unit has just been closed, so in final state of loading):





The drive unit opens and closes by a motor, works on 4.5v and even 3v but needs more "ummph" to close fast and properly, used 12v; 9v is probably better. When the positive and negative are connected to the motor the motor spins one way, when the voltages are reversed, they spin the other way. To keep it simple, going to use a 3 way small switch; middle is off, one way is tray open, the other way tray closed. Simple!

Didn't use slim laptop type DVD drives as the motor is small and installed on the board itself, no point when installing a thick console drive unit anyway, so using normal computer drives, it is far more ideal.

I'll make a short video of this work and post it; as it is critical to the CD drive consoles (6) i'm doing in the Alpha Omega project - all will work via pop-out trays.

[bacteria]

Few updates not posted here, oops (updated on my forum, forgot here!)

Using 12v now to drive the whole Alpha Omega now not 7.5v - easier for the GameCube and also more uumph for other consoles too. My Regulator strip now run off one 12v supply: 1.9v, 3.3v, 3.43, 5v, 12v, 16v, -3v, will also do -5v, 8v.

Making my own drive unit for the GameCube drive as the PC ROM one isn't good enough nor worked well in practice.

Rewired the drive unit into the motherboard as the ribbon cable was too short - works:



Worked out which wires are needed to power the GameCube - works:

[bacteria]

On a different note, bought a GameBoy player on ebay for £13 including postage, that seems a fair price, they often go for a bit more. On the front of the drive bay i'm going to make/complete, it'll have space to accomodate the two memory slots and also a slot for GBA games too.

Earlier today, removed all the ports on the back of the console board, including the port for the GBA player (i'm relocating it anyway). Just need to remove the digital output port (not needed) and the A/V port - I can tap RGB off that as well as A/V (my board is PAL). PAL units can do composite and RGB, NTSC can do composite and S-Video from what I read.



Pics I saw before for the Nintendo A/V plug had a small board inside with parts - not mine - mine just has a 38.4 ohm resistor connecting between composite and ground connection - that's all.

[bacteria]

Ok, progress again, disposed of the controller board, worked out the pinout for player 1 port, the battery, resistor and LED - wired it all up, works fine - after setting the calendar on the GameCube, got into BomberMan Generation game through the menus, so controller works fine. Will upload a pic guide when I get time - ie tomorrow.

Pic:

[bacteria]

Here is the wiring guide for the controller, battery, LED and resistor for the GameCube (1 player controller).

[bacteria]

Epoxied two fans to the GameCube heatsink so they stay in place onto the heatsink, cut out the screw posts for the heatsink and screwed the heatsink to the motherboard with them; removed the digital port (is that used for anything?), and the A/V port. BTW - if anyone wonders, what you do so you don't get washed out composite video is to attach a 38 ohm resistor to the composite out wire on the composite pin, and the other end of the resistor to ground. I didn't have a spare 38 ohm resistor so used a 46 ohm one, the very slighly darker colours as a result of 46 instead of 38 I think looks a little better on a television! Without this resistor, the screen is a bit washed out and too much contrast.

[Josh]

removed the digital port (is that used for anything?)

I THINK it's used for the Broadband Adapter, however I'm not sure as I never had one. You could ask NoiseRedux or LisaLover though.

Are you going to be modding the GameCube to run full size DVD's as well as the Mini-DVD's for Homebrew, or are you just going to leave it to run normally? Not sure if I missed you saying that or not, so sorry if I did. Awesome looking project so far, Bacteria.

[CRTGAMER]

removed the digital port (is that used for anything?)

I THINK it's used for the Broadband Adapter, however I'm not sure as I never had one. You could ask NoiseRedux or LisaLover though.

Are you going to be modding the GameCube to run full size DVD's as well as the Mini-DVD's for Homebrew, or are you just going to leave it to run normally? Not sure if I missed you saying that or not, so sorry if I did. Awesome looking project so far, Bacteria.

Really coming along nicely! I think the digital port you are referring to is for the Nintendo exclusive Component Cable.

[bacteria]

Yes, seems to be for the component add-on, saw a pic of it recently; however PAL GameCube can do composite or RGB as standard, the NTSC ones composite and S-video, so the normal reason to use the digital out was to get the add-on port to output for component, which happened to convert via a chip in the cable block, into RGB. I want to output the video from the GameCube via RGB and/or composite, so can't see any useful add-on for the digital output...

More updates:

Relocated the two memory card slots, secured the motherboard to the plastic sheet as the GameCube motherboard has no remaining ports unremoved. System works fine as you see in the pic. (screen flicker is the camera not the television).

I should get my GBA player add-on tomorrow or Tuesday hopefully, then can open it up and hard wire it to the GameCube motherboard.

Next job after that will me making the drive unit surround and trying to make it pop open/close if I can.



The two fans are from the GameCube; reason i'm using them is two fold - firstly I have the space for them in the construction, and secondly want the board to be as cool as I can, considering the board is mounted onto a plastic backing foam sheet! On the original GameCube, there is very little airflow, hence why the motherboard gets quite warm/hot; having two fans directly on top of the large heatsink keeps it far cooler!

I experimented with peltier coolers a few days ago, generated far more heat issues than were present before, and also concern about condensation too - the heatsink on the standard GameCube is large and "fit for job".

Josh - the drive unit enclosure i'm making will house standard sized CD's - making it that size to standardise for the other systems.